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The positive‐negative asymmetry: On cognitive consistency and positivity bias
Author(s) -
Peeters Guido
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
european journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1099-0992
pISSN - 0046-2772
DOI - 10.1002/ejsp.2420010405
Subject(s) - psychology , cognition , context (archaeology) , consistency (knowledge bases) , cognitive bias , social psychology , viewpoints , cognitive psychology , paleontology , art , geometry , mathematics , neuroscience , visual arts , biology
Positivity bias is approached from three viewpoints: (a) It may be the effect of purely cognitive dispositions. (b) As such, it may function as an hypothesis about reality. The related dynamic factor would be a tendency toward cognitive validity which may lead to an orientation toward the negative as a means to test the positivity‐hypothesis. (c) Finally, the subject may seek rewarding behavioral interactions with entities within his life space. In this context cognitive positivity bias may reflect a behavioural approach bias which can be related to the dynamics of ‘mere survival’ and ‘self‐actualization’.